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2016 Detroit Auto Show

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

RECAP

President Barack Obama talks with Patrick Foley, General Motors Bolt EV specialist, left, and Dan Ammann, president of GM, right, while sitting in the driver’s seat of the Chevy Bolt
during a tour of the 2016 North American International Auto Show at the Cobo Center in Detroit on Jan. 20.

Jackie Headapohl | Managing Editor

A

lthough several vehicles made
their world debut at this year’s
North American International
Auto Show in Detroit, the overarching
theme for this year’s event was the chang-
ing industry, including the future of auton-
omous vehicles.
Nowhere was this more evident than at
the Toyota press conference during media
week, where the company, instead of show-
ing off a new car or truck, revealed a new
satellite antenna under development. About

the size of a pie plate, it will be capable of
downloading terabytes of data — essential
in connected and self-driving vehicles.
One of the biggest announcements at
the show came from the U.S. Department
of Transportation. Secretary Anthony Foxx
announced the Obama administration’s
request for $4 billion to set up a nationwide
connected car network. The White House
also wants to revise federal rules to encour-
age the development of cutting-edge safety
technology.

Another buzzword at this year’s show
was “mobility.” During a press conference,
Ford Motor Co. CEO Mark Fields talked
about the automaker’s transition from
a manufacturer of vehicles to a “mobil-
ity company.” Citing a study from the
University of Michigan Transportation
Research Institute, Fields said that fewer
Americans of all ages are getting driver’s
licenses. And even those who are may
choose to own fewer cars in the future,
relying instead on car- or ride-sharing ser-

vices.
President Barack Obama toured the
show this year, taking advantage of the
opportunity to do a victory lap on his
administration’s bailout of the industry as
well as the industry’s resurgence. GM, Ford
and Fiat Chrysler enjoyed record-breaking
sales in 2015.
Still, the cars are always the stars of
the Detroit auto show. Turn the page to
see some of the reveals from Detroit’s Big
Three.
continued on page 30

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28 January 28 • 2016

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